Letters
by Korobei
Summary: With Bruce back Dick has to return the cowl to his former mentor...but what about Damian? (based off this /robin-damian-wayne-letters-dick-grayson-nightwing/)


"So your leaving, for good?" Damian questioned Nightwing.

"Yep. Now that you can go on patrol with your dad I'm going to go back to patrolling solo." Damian watched as the older began packing clothes into a large suitcase.

"But do you need to leave the manor for that? You could still operate from the Batcave right?"

"Why you gonna miss me?" Dick smirked at Damian playfully.

Yes. He was going to miss his mentor. Damian was happy about being able to patrol with his father but he hadn't known that meant that Dick was leaving.

"Whatever. Take Drake with you please." Damian walked out of the room. He could feel his eyes water but there was no way in hell that he was going to cry in front of Dick.

"Maybe you should write him a letter." Damian looked up at Alfred. Dick had been gone for almost a week now and Damian was already painfully feeling the absence of his former mentor. The manor was quiet and Damian had no one to spar with.

Everyone else had visited at least once this week. Drake, Batgirl, even Jason showed up to pass on some information to Bruce. But Dick hadn't shown up once. Damian knew the older was probably busy but he thought it was odd that Dick had yet to show up after leaving so soon.

Alfred placed some paper and some crayons in front of him and Damian pushed aside his breakfast. A letter couldn't hurt.

Blue was Dick's favorite color right? Damian began writing. He couldn't bring himself to say that HE was worried about Dick so he explained how worried Alfred was. The butler raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing. He even offered to share his room with the older if it meant him visiting. He signed his name and put the letter in an envelope for Alfred to mail later.

Another week had gone by with no answer from Dick. And no visit. Damian told himself that he must be busy patrolling and just hasn't had time to answer him.

"Are you sure the letter was sent?" Damian asked Alfred again. The butler handed him his lunch.

"100% master Damian. Master Dick is probably busy." Damian pouted at the answer. Dick was to busy for him.

"Would you like to write another letter?"

Damian chose green this time. The letter was a bit more demanding. He requested that Dick return home or contact Alfred or him soon. Damian dropped the letter off himself just to make sure Dick received it.

"Robin your lagging behind." Batman jumped down in front of him, his glare, demanding and explanation.

"Have you heard from Night Wing?" Damian asked quietly. Damian had the thought earlier that Dick could be undercover or even under radio silence. The younger caught the small smile on the dark nights face.

"He's busy with patrol. I'm sure he'll visit soon." Damian was starting to worry. Not even his father had heard anything from Dick. Surely he should be worried as well. Dick was a son to Bruce, surely the lack of communication should at least make his father somewhat curious. "Have some faith in Nightwing, he'll be back." Damian nodded. Dick was probably fine, just busy. Right?

"Another letter Master Damian?" Alfred cleared Damian's dinner plate.

"Two actually. Drake keeps showing up its quite annoying." Damian chose red for Drake's letter and purple for Dick's.

Drake's letter was simple. Damian requested he never come visit again and he drew the past Robin dead. Perfect.

Damian decided that Dick's letter should be simple to. Obviously Dick was not getting the message. He needed to come back. It had been almost a month and Damian had zero responses from his mentor. Then deciding that maybe his rudeness towards Drake was the reason for his mentor's absence, Damian added that he would allow Drake to visit if necessary.

Two months now. No responses. Well Drake had responded. He replied personally by visiting the manor. Again.

Damian was worried, he had even gonna as far as to tell Batman that he wanted to see Dick again. His old mentor couldn't even be tracked through the Batcave. Damian had spent hours trying to find him through the tracking system. Everyone Damian had asked gave him the same response. Dick was busy with fitting into his new life and he would come by soon. Drake had even begun to call him paranoid and overattached.

"Alfred I need paper."

Red. To express how mad Damian was at Dick for not replying. For not visiting. For not being there.

He wrote I miss you in the middle of the page. Then scribbled it out.

'Please come home.'  
Love Damian

Four months. Nothing.

Patrol had been going great. The newest capture of the Riddler had improved Damian's mood slightly but it didn't overshadow Damian's worry about his past mentor. Even his father had expressed some concern. Dick had never been silent for this long.

Damian now had his own desk where paper and crayons were already set up for him. The trash can was overflowed with letters that Damian deemed imperfect.

Obviously Damian must have done something to upset Dick. He would have at least replied to his letters. This meant that Damian had to apologize. But as much as he hated it, he was desperate.

So he apologized to his mentor and then drew a picture of himself with a cat. Dick likes cats right? Damian asked what Dick's favorite color was and explained that he could change the color if Dick didn't like it and before he knew it, Damian was crying. He had been worrying for months now and nobody else in the family seemed to share his concern. The tears were staining his letter but Damian was to tired to rewrite it. He just wanted Dick back.  
Damian ran down to the mailbox on the side of the street and dropped the letter in.

"Damian stay here with Tim. This mission is to dangerous for either of you." Damian wanted to argue. He just got dressed so he could go on patrol. Plus he wanted to see if he could drop by Fatgirl's house to ask about Dick. And he had to stay with Drake. Of all people.

"But-"

"No. Nightwings in trouble I have to go help."

Damian suddenly felt stiff. Dick was in trouble. Is that why he hasn't answered any of his letters? That would mean he's been in trouble for a little over four months. What kind of trouble was his mentor in? If Batman was using his hero identity than a villian must be involved, although most of them were currently in Arkem. And his father wasn't even taking Drake wit him, that meant the situation was serious.

"Are you sure you don't want to take us?" Tim was also dressed as red robin and was standing by the Batmobile.

"If Nightwings in trouble that means it's to much for both of you. Stay. Here." Tim frowned but walked to stand next to Damian.

"Listen to the coms I'll call if I need backup." Lies. Batman doesn't need backup. Ever.

Damian felt a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be fine Damian."

"I know that." Damian turned away. Dick had to be okay. There was no other option.

Damian had several escape routes planned to sneak out of the manor with out being noticed. Unfortunately Drake was a very attentive babysitter. Which meant that any attempts to sneak out and help Batman were futile.

Damian could tell that Drake was just as worried about Dick as he was. He continually forgot that Drake had been partially trained under Dick as well. For once the two had something in common besides being Robin. Damian knew he was a little selfish of Batman and Nightwing. But it was only because he felt he needed to be like that. There were three robins ahead of him. Each of them had something special. Dick was the perfect partner, Jason was a soldier, Tim was brilliant, and Damian, was Damian. His intellect and skill weren't anything above his predecessors. Damian honestly believed the only thing that set him apart from the other robins was that he was Batman's true son. But did he even have that? Batman treated every Robin like a son. The only real difference was the Biological relation.

Dick had shown Damian that he was more than just another Robin. Dick was his big brother and if he got hurt or he-

No. Dick was not going to die. Dick doesn't die.

Alfred called Tim and him up for dinner. Damian didn't want to eat until he got word that Dick was safe but Tim wouldn't allow that.

Damian was lost in thought when the kitchen communicator went off.

"Alfred prepare med bay."

The communicator turned off and the butler turned towards the medical ward of the manor. Tim gave Damian a worried glance and the two boys made a silent agreement before running down to the batcave.

The Batmobile pulled up and batman jumped out before the cars turn table had stopped.

"Tim help me." Drake ran over to batman and the two got Nightwing out together. Damian's eyes widened at the amount of blood. He could see several stab wounds and part of his mentors mask was ripped, revealing the blue eyes his mentor was famous for. His costume was torn in several locations and he looked barely conscious.

"Is he-"

"He's alive for now. But we need to get him to Alfred." Damian had never doubted the butlers medical skills but he had never seen Alfred work on injuries as bad as this.

Damian followed close behind the others and tried not to pay attention to the blood trail left by Nightwing. Once in the med bay Tim and Damian Walked to the outside of the room and stood outside the glass that separated the rooms.

Bruce and Alfred had to cut off the top half of Dick's costume. Damian felt sick looking at how damaged the other was. Most of the injuries had been hidden by Dick's costume but now that it was partially removed Damian could see several deep cuts and stab wounds. And based on the bruising around Dick's chest and stomach Damian could assume that his mentor was internally bleeding as well.

"He's gonna be fine." Tim spoke. However it sounded like the older was trying to convince himself more than Damian.

Alfred had begun working on Dick. Bruce had told the boys that they should sleep. However both of them remained planted at the med bay window. Neither moving until they knew for sure that Dick would be okay.

Tim and Damian sat down in the few chairs available for observers. Damian was having trouble keeping himself awake. Even on patrol nights Damian usually got some sleep but waiting for Alfred to be done was turning into an all nighter. "Hey Babybird, why don't you go to sleep for awhile." Drake's voice was soft and held none of the annoyance it usually did when addressing Damian. Damian shook his head. He had to be awake when Dick woke up. "I'll wake you up if something changes. I promise." Damian woulf have rather stayed awake but the thought of sleep was to tempting. Damian was already out when his head hit Tim's shoulder. -

It seemed like forever before Tim moved out from under Damian's head. Damian grumbled at the loss of his make shift pillow but when he remembered where he was Damian woke up immediately. Tim was already pressed up against the med bay glass and Damian joined him.

Dick was up! Damian's former mentor was heavily bandaged and looked stiff but his eyes were open and he was talking with Bruce.

Tim and Damian ran into the med bay. While Tim stopped right beside Dick's bed Damian hugged his former mentor tightly.

"Ah- Damian!" Damian forgot about the injuries Dick had. He just needed to know Dick was really alive. And that he was okay.

"It's about time you finally visit." Damian grumbled. Dick pulled away from the hug and gripped Damian's shoulders.

"Sorry. I got your first letter but then Joker caught up with me before I could finish my reply." Damian shuddered. He recalled the case where Jason had been kidnapped by the same villain. Jason had died before Batman was able to reach him. Thankfully the former Robin came back years later somehow. Even Drake had been on the receiving end of Joker's madness.

"But you're okay right?" Tim questioned.

"I still have a couple of bruises but I'll be back on patrol in a few days." Damian frowned. Dick should rest, injuries like that don't just heal overnight.

"More like a few weeks. Those stitches better not reopen for at least a week. In fact I'd rather have you at the manor for a while." Bruce was already dressed in a suit and was fixing the cuffs of his sleeves when he spoke.

"You're grounding me?" Dick smiled.

Bruce frowned and left the room. Damian figured that his father was off to his real job and wouldn't be home till later.

-  
Dick had listened to Bruce and stayed in the manor for two weeks while his injuries healed. Although this meant that Damian couldn't spar like he wanted, Dick still spent a lot of time with Damian and Tim. Including baking cookies. Which resulted in the three boys covered in flour and no cookies actually made.

Damian found himself wishing that Dick could have stayed injured so he could stay. He knew it was a selfish thought. Dick should be able to patrol as Nightwing without Damian.

Really Damian was terrified of Dick abandoning him again for months. Dick promised again and again that he would visit often and even team up with Damian on occasions. But Damian still protested Dick leaving after three weeks.

"I promise I'll come by this week." Dick was having trouble leaving the manor. Tim and Damian kept asking him to stay. Dick would have loved to stay but he needed to talk to Barbra and he should at least get some word to Wally before the speedster tears his place apart looking for him. Dick put his helmet on and mounted the r-cycle.

"I promise I'll visit!" Dick drove off before the two younger boys could protest again.  
-

Dick got back to his place late. After spending lunch with Babs and reassuring Wally over the phone that he was fine Dick decided to head home and leave patrol to Batman for the night.

His place was no Wayne manor but Dick liked his small apartment. He grimaced at his overfilled mailbox. Bills and magazines spilled onto the floor along with a handful of letters from... Damian?

Dick picked up the pile of crayon colored envelopes and sat down at his desk. He opened the first one.

"Dear Grayson, are you receiving my letters? You have not returned home as requested. Please contact Alfred or myself post haste.  
Yours, Damian."

Posthaste? Dick smiled to himself and opened the next letter.

"Dear Grayson, are you coming home soon?

Yours, Damian w.  
P.S. I will allow Drake back if necessary"

Dicks eyes widened. He was going to get along with Tim just to get him to come back?

"Dear Grayson,  
Please come home.  
Love Damian"

Dick didn't miss the scribbled out 'I miss you' and his heart pained at how much Damian must have worried about him.

Dick opened the next letter to find two pages all written in blue.

"Dear Grayson,  
I would like to apologize if it was something I have done to keep you from returning home. I promise I will no longer do that thing, so please come back soon. I am using my best blue crayon as I know this color to be your favorite. Please tell me if your favorite is no longer blue and I will use another color.

Alfred said I should draw you something so I have. It is myself and a cat.

Yours Damian.  
P.S. These are rain drops"

Dick stared at The crayon drawing of his former apprentice and then ran his thumb over the "rain drops". Dick felt terrible. He of all people made Damian cry. Dick grabbed some paper and a pen. He had to reply. He would have preferred to drive over to Wayne manor and hug Damian but he knew Bruce was out on patrol with the younger.

Dear Baby Bird,

I'm sorry to have upset you by leaving. I wanted to stay as partners but Robin belongs to Batman not Nightwing. I know you will do well with your father. He's just like me except... tougher.

Blue is still my favorite color, don't worry. And you do not have to apologize for anything. As you know I was in trouble and therefore could not answer your many adorable letters but I promise I will not abandon you again like that.

I love you.

Dick Grayson  
P.S I really like the picture


End file.
